This is edition 2026/078 of the Ten@10 newsletter.
Hi all,
This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.
Enjoy!
1. Luxon wanted in on Trump’s war
Bryce Edwards
- 📧 The release of the Luxon–Peters emails has clarified Christopher Luxon’s foreign policy instincts, ending months of uncertainty and mixed messaging
- 🇺🇸 The emails reveal Luxon initially wanted New Zealand to publicly align with the United States after strikes on Iran, but was dissuaded by advisers and ministers
- 🧭 This disclosure is likely to reshape perceptions of the Government’s foreign policy for the rest of the year
- 📰 Josie Pagani argues Luxon is unfit to lead in dangerous times, citing lack of conviction and poor judgment
- ⚖️ Pagani claims Luxon favoured the wrong decision despite clear expert advice, not just a misstep under uncertainty
- 🌍 She condemns the war itself as reckless and destabilising, blaming Donald Trump’s leadership and its global consequences
- 🚨 Her conclusion warns National that Luxon may be an electoral liability as leader
- 🇺🇸 Anneke Smith attributes Luxon’s stance to his strong personal and professional ties to the United States, shaping his instincts
- 🔍 Smith suggests either a breakdown in leadership relationships or serious misjudgment, possibly both
- 🇳🇿 Critics argue Luxon’s approach lacked independent New Zealand decision-making, instead deferring to US-aligned thinking
- 🗣️ The defence that Luxon was merely “challenging advice” is undermined by the fact that official policy had already been agreed and communicated
- 📉 Matthew Hooton argues any late shift would have damaged New Zealand’s credibility and made the Government appear inconsistent
- 🤡 Hooton dismisses the PM’s actions as unnecessary and politically harmful after decisions were already finalised
- 🔐 The article ends by noting further analysis is behind a paywall, covering polling, internal dynamics, and future implications
